Robert Mech, AIA

Associate | Architect

Every year since the age of five, Robert was subjected to road trips back and forth from the metropolis of Chicago (his birth city) and the sprawling and quaintly eccentric Albuquerque (the city he grew up in). Sleeping in strange rooms, eating in small hole-in-the-wall restaurants, hearing alien accents and inflections (mostly spoken in English), he imagined himself the ultimate explorer and anthropologist. 1,350 miles stretching across the middle of the United States was plenty enough to transfix this wide-eyed and curious kid. Witnessing generations of family, obscured in dated attire, emanating queer eccentricities and inhabiting bizarre houses full of eerie attics with pull-string lights, damp basements with shelves too high to reach, and stacks of decrepit relics and other Underdark collections of forgotten eras, Robert was to be forever mesmerized by time and place: preoccupied with nostalgia.

He explains that the passing of time became his enemy and entropy was his ultimate foe. He hates things that fall apart. Yes, buildings change, people change, uses change. “But,” he says, “we need places that become us, that exist to explain ourselves long after we are gone. Why? Because the idea of ourselves is like a footprint, an echo that we leave for someone else to interpret.”

Robert will fight for your vision, your desire to prolong that ending. He is a caretaker of the built environment, and a curator of the things that last. He abhors the cheaply-made, the disposable, and ubiquitous.

Robert enjoys being an active member of Historic Seattle, the National Trust and Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, and is HOA President at the Betsy Ross Condominiums, a wonderful 1928 Colonial Revival abode, where he currently resides. If you’re looking for him, place your bets on antique shops, vintage clothing stores, or dumpster-diving in whatever neighborhood you happen to be in. He also manages an Etsy store called AnalogDigital, offering retro and vintage objects from the 1920s through the 1980s.

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Historic Preservation

As much as we may want it to be, nothing is perfect. Whether remodeling or building new, and regardless of how well-recommended your contractor is, unknown challenges will arise with your project. But, this is a navigable process, especially if you keep these tips in mind.

Are you still hoarding a few old incandescent bulbs thinking it will save you money to just use what you've already purchased? It won't! But why? Let us lay it all out for you, and show you why it's time to bite the bullet and move to new solutions, like the LED.

Ever been walking along 3rd Avenue in downtown Seattle and happen to look up and see a bunch of walruses staring back down at you, complete with tusks the size of your head? Seattle is home to many great examples of architectural terracotta, and Robert Mech is here to tell you all about it.

Did you know that the digits of your phone number actually have a history linking them to letters? Or, that the concept of “dialing” a phone came way later than the phone itself? Robert Mech explores all this and more in this post about phones, and he most certainly did not “phone it in.”

What do buildings sound like? We don't mean literally; we don't mean acoustics. Robert explores what it would mean if architectural wonders, or even just the most basic of buildings, were translated to music.

You don't have to be a member of the "DOcumentation and COnservation of the MOdern MOvement - WEstern WAshington" (Docomomo-WEWA for short) in order to see a great exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum, going on now. Check it out!

Moderne vs. Modern. Art Deco? Atomic? Modern Atomic? What do all these words mean? We know, it can certainly be a bit confusing or overwhelming. Fortunately, we have resident historic-ophile Robert on hand to explain it.

We have another new B&V'er to announce! This time, it's Robert Mech, hailing from the desert southwest. Robert takes historic preservation seriously, and has an eye for historical details, finishes, and fixtures. We can't wait to start some great projects together!

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Who are we, anyway? For starters, we are a close-knit team of architects and designers, collaborating in integrated studios on architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture projects. We love what we do, and we have fun doing it. As your advocates, our goal is to help you realize a project that you love.

Our Team

Over the years, we’ve built a team of passionate architects and designers who not only love the work we do, but love working together. Our enthusiasm translates directly to our projects, and we pair team members with clients and projects we think will be a great fit.